Two Scene 8

Front 1

Landlady: hey, hey you forgot something. Go on now. Off you go.

Back 1

(enter) hey frank, what have i told you about kids in here? I dont know (to customer)Alright, could you drink up now. Ta. (to landlady) Drop the towel over the taps love. (take glass from customers) ta. (hold it upside down, completely empty) you enjoyed that one didn't you. Bloody hell. Ok, see you. 'night. Can we have your glasses please? Thank you. Ta. See you. Sleep tight.

Front 2

Landlady: bye love

Back 2

Well that's that then. Another one over. Will you bolt up? What's up with you? Oh, i'll do it

(exit, 'bolt up' then come back in)

Come on then

(gets stuck in with glasses)

Front 3

Landlady: did you see that little girl?

Back 3

Yeah i saw her (keep working)

Front 4

Landlady: do you know what day it is today?

Back 4

Yeah another working one, come on, lets get these lot away

Front 5

Landlady: okay. (puts her arm across the counter and walks along, knocking the glasses to the floor)

Back 5

What you doing? OH CHRIST!

Front 6

Landlady: shall i clear that side now? (goes to do it)

Back 6

(stop her)

Front 7

Landlady: go on, hit me, but hit me hard.

Back 7

(let her go, return to work)

I know what day it is

Front 8

Landlady: eh?

Back 8

I said i know what day it is. What do you think I am? Stone?

(stop working, look down sink like you're gonna puke)

Front 9

Landlady: seems that way

Back 9

(grab a glass, go to optic and let out two measures)

Front 10

Landlady: don't

Back 10

Why not? You do

Front 11

Landlady: I can stop. Oh go on, what's it to me

Back 11

That's more like it. That's nearer to it. I was getting a bit worried there, sounded like care.

(drink, carry on working)

Come on

Front 12

Landlady: eh?

Back 12

Lets get going.

Front 13

Landlady: is that it then? Thats how you think it can go again. One little explosion, two little explosions, have a drink, carry on

Back 13

Huh?

Front 14

Landlady: that's whats been going on for years and years. Every time we talk about it

Back 14

I don't know what you're on about

Front 15

Landlady: you do

Back 15

Look, another time, eh?

Front 16

Landlady: no. Not this night you don't. No slipping away. I want to talk about things.

Back 16

Well i don't, okay?

Front 17

Landlady: you're a bastard. How the hell am i going to get this out then? How the hell am i going to get it out? I've no one to love it out of me, i've no one to knock it out of me, just a blank man

Back 17

Tough.

Front 18

(landlady starts randomly knocking glasses off)

Back 18

Don't hurt my pub!

Front 19

Landlady: it's not a person you know

Back 19

I know. But that's the sorry state of it. It's all i've got to care for

Front 20

Landlady: oh dear

Back 20

I hate you.

Front 21

Landlady: i hate you harder

Back 21

If that's the case, in these few precious hours we have to ourselves, why do we waste them on each other?

Front 22

(knock on door)

Back 22

(go to it)

(ofstage) no we're closed. No, no takeaway, no

(bolts again, comes back in)

Front 23

Landlady: i feel sick. That's the first time i've said that for almost as many years. Why did it sound so corny on my lips? You're not listening.

Back 23

Well (cleaning), you've got to carry on. You know that as well as i do

Front 24

(Landlady screams)

Back 24

(just watch until she's done)

Front 25

Landlady: I can't stand it no more. The blame hurts and burns too much

Back 25

I never blamed you

Front 26

Landlady: liar

Back 26

I did not blame you, alright?

Front 27

Landlady: who did you blame then? Yourself?

Back 27

No

Front 28

Landlady: Who did you blame then? Him?

Back 28

Don't say things like that

Front 29

Landlady: what? Leave him out of this? Like he never existed? Is that what you're saying?

Back 29

Stop. Stop with your filth

Front 30

Landlady: what? You're mad

Back 30

(back to work) leave the dead

Front 31

Landlady: god you're worse than me

Back 31

I'm worse than no one. Just leave it, eh?

Front 32

Landlady: look we've got to get this out for our own sanity

Back 32

You worry about that, i'm alright

Front 33

Landlady: it's rotted us

Back 33

Well what's the point of bothering then?

Front 34

Landlady: you cold gone bastard

Back 34

Aye

Front 35

(landlady grabs a gkass and lists it to him)

Back 35

(turn and lift chin)

Go on, break it and shove it in where its soft. Go on.

(wait)

You want to, and I don't mind

Front 36

Landlady: what have we come to? (turns away)

Back 36

(stay in position)

I loved it when we all loved. When we were loving. Him and.... When we were... Me and you bickered like we do now, all very funny, all on the surface, but love was underneath then. Now it's hate. Hate for sure.

(open eyes)

I see him every day. My son. I remember when he could... Pulling at the crates like his dad. He thought he could do it, didn't he?

I see him here like as.... In his pyjamas. At night his hair was always... Peeping in at the pub. You'd shout, but i'd always let him in and lift him up and on the counter. Oh god. How do you die when you're seven years old.

(cover eyes, pause)

When it happened I had to turn away, i thought later i could turn back but i couldn't. Nothing healed. It just went harder and harder and harder

Front 37

Landlady: and you blamed

Back 37

No

Front 38

Landlady: liar!

Back 38

No.

Front 39

Landlady: a blaming man, a stupid blaming man

Back 39

No

Front 40

Landlady: yes

Back 40

You were driving!

Front 41

Landlady: yes!

Back 41

Let's stop this.

Front 42

Landlady: you can't do that to me, it has to be out

Back 42

No more

Front 43

Landlady: yes, all of it

....

... But i knew you'd done it because you blamed me

Back 43

No

Front 44

Landlady: He went without goodbye. I didn't see him in his suit and tie in his little coffin, i saw him with his mouth wide open

Back 44

Stop.

Front 45

Landlady: no. No. I couldn't tell what was left between us in the hospital, but when i came home the cold set in. Really frightening cold. And we stood like strangers upstairs. And we've stood that way ever since.

Back 45

(nod)

(pause)

Please know now, i didn't blame you. And i didn't want to do that to you. But i couldn't touch anything. Please know, i had no blame, just hard. Everything hard.

Front 46

Landlady: why didn't you tell me that?

Back 46

Couldn't say any.... And from then on, all this time wouldn't talk about it, so you couldnt talk about it. I thought about it, but knew you thought i didnt. And in my quiet you thought i blamed, but i didn't. Such a lot of hurt inside. Solid. Hard.

Front 47

Landlady: we've held ourselves for all these years, sick of our own arms squeezing, squeezing

Back 47

(seems like theyre going to hug, but then turn and wash a glass)

In the morning, you bring his picture down and you put it up there, will you?

Front 48

Landlady: i'll cash up tomorrow

Back 48

Aye. I'll just switch off

(turn light off)

I love you.